Adams County committee votes to pursue reverse‑osmosis leachate plan, directs RFQ and facility planning

Adams County Solid Waste Committee members voted on Feb. 3 to pursue planning and an engineering RFQ to implement a reverse‑osmosis leachate treatment system after hearing a feasibility presentation from Tetra Tech.

The committee’s action directs staff to complete a draft facility plan and an absorption‑pond work plan, then issue a Request for Qualifications for engineering services to support a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWFP) application. Supervisor Gill moved the motion and Supervisor Bork seconded; the committee approved it by voice vote.

Tetra Tech presenters said Adams County currently hauls leachate to the City of Adams and the Village of Plover, both of which have been restricting the volumes they will accept — the City for ammonia concentrations and Plover over PFAS concerns. Kirsty Shurey, a Tetra Tech consultant, said the county’s leachate is "consistently above" the City of Adams surcharge threshold and noted that recent Wisconsin PFAS administrative rules are reducing the number of wastewater plants willing to accept landfill leachate.

The feasibility report evaluated two comprehensive approaches: on‑site pretreatment to reduce ammonia and PFAS before discharge to a wastewater treatment plant, and complete on‑site treatment that would allow discharge under a WPDES permit. Shurey described reverse osmosis (RO) as a full‑treatment option with "really high removal rates, so upwards of 99% removal for a lot of constituents," which would eliminate hauling and its associated costs.

Consultants presented estimated unit costs and timelines. Presenters said current hauling costs run roughly 8¢ per gallon, that long‑haul/no‑action scenarios could approach about 19.2¢ per gallon, and that RO was estimated to have lower operating cost among the evaluated alternatives (presenters cited roughly 13¢ per gallon operating costs for RO versus up to about 24¢ per gallon for higher‑cost options). They cautioned capital costs for treatment systems are substantial and lead times for equipment can be lengthy.

Funding and schedule informed the committee’s vote. Tetra Tech recommended pursuing CWFP support; a draft facility plan is due to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on March 31, and the CWFP application window closes Sept. 30. Consultants said the DNR typically takes five to six months to review the draft facility plan and that meeting the March 31 milestone is critical to preserve eligibility for principal forgiveness and loan reimbursement for pre‑application costs.

Committee members raised compliance risk from storage limits at the landfill, truck availability and staffing for operations. Ruben (solid‑waste staff) confirmed DNR rules could deem the county out of compliance if leachate exceeds the DNR 12‑inch freeboard/liner threshold. Members also discussed potentially certifying county staff to operate an RO system rather than hiring external operators.

The motion directs county staff to finalize the draft facility plan and the absorption‑pond work plan and to issue an RFQ for engineering services in time to support the CWFP application timeline. The committee did not record roll‑call tallies beyond a voice vote; Chair announced "Aye" and the motion was carried.

Next steps outlined by consultants include preparing the draft facility plan and absorption‑pond report for DNR review, completing an RFQ and awarding engineering by the spring to allow design and procurement work to proceed. Consultants estimated 12–18 months lead time for some equipment and roughly 18–24 months from contract award to system operation, depending on procurement and construction timing.